Overview

This book is a study of the rich and fascinating traditions found early Irish literature concerning smiths and the fashioning of metal. The smith had a special status within the traditional societies of early Ireland and elsewhere in the Celtic-speaking world. The figure is associated with magic and the supernatural, as well as having special legal status, and a marginal and ambiguous position within the community. John Carey is an internationally known expert on Old Irish language and literature and includes here texts and translations of magical spells, incantations, and narratives connected with smiths and their craft.

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9781891271281

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Reviews

The texts and translations alone make this volume a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in magic and belief in medieval Ireland. Carey's accompanying essays are thought-provoking, and remind the reader just how many gaps there are in our understanding of early Irish belief, and how much work remains to be done. -- The Medieval Review

The texts and translations alone make this volume a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in magic and belief in medieval Ireland. Carey's accompanying essays are thought-provoking, and remind the reader just how many gaps there are in our understanding of early Irish belief, and how much work remains to be done. * The Medieval Review *

The texts and translations alone make this volume a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in magic and belief in medieval Ireland. Carey's accompanying essays are thought-provoking, and remind the reader just how many gaps there are in our understanding of early Irish belief, and how much work remains to be done. * The Medieval Review *

Author Information

Professor of Old and Middle Irish, University College Cork

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